It took some time for it to become official, but on January 28th, the Braves agreement with OF Dian Toscano that was signed on December 8th became official. Toscano, who is coming over from Cuba, was signed to a four year, $6 million deal. For this price, if Toscano can contribute to the major league club in any way this contract is a steal. Toscano hit .356 in the Cuban National Series with a .440 OBP in 2012, the last season in which he has available statistics. But don’t get too excited, as hitting in the big leagues will drastically deflate these stats. Toscano signed a major league deal with the team. However, he has still not been able to enter the US due to a visa issue. He will likely have to start his season at AAA Gwinnett once he gets clearance. Toscano may not be the most highly touted Cuban player to come into the league in recent years but clearly the Braves see something they really like to sign an unknown to a major league deal. Toscano is only 25 years old. Between this signing and the Braves offering big money to 2B Hector Olivera, it’s clear that John Hart is keeping an eye on international prospects. The Cuban market has been kind of an untapped resource and there are without doubt some special players over there. Look how talented Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes have turned out to be. We will monitor Toscano’s situation here at SportsTalkATL.com and keep the fans updated on the Cuban’s arrival.
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